Fire-extinguisher.



No'. 682,964.v

Patented Sept. I7, |901. G. A. SWENSUN.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

(Application led Har. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT omen GEORGE A. swENsoN, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. l

FIRE-EXTINGUISHR.

SPECIFCATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 682,964, dated September17, 1901.

Application filed March l, 1901.

To @ZZ whom it may' con/cern,.- l

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. SwENsoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough ot' Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedFire-Extinguisher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to a device for automaticallysetting intooperation a sprinkling apparatus to extinguish a iire in buildf ings.The device is adapted to be applied to buildings of all classes and isprovided, preferably, with two sprinkling-pipes for each device, saidpipes leading to different parts of a large room or one to each of twosmall rooms. Briefly stated, the apparatus comprises a source ofwater-supply and an automaticallyactuated valve for permitting thiswater to pass'into and through the sprinkling-pipes. If desired, analarm mechanism may be used in conjunction with the extinguisher.

This specification is a specific description of one form oftheinvention, while the claims are detinitions of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specication, in which similar characters of referenceindcatecorresponding parts in both views.

Figure l is a sectional View of the -invention on the line l l of Fig.2, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

In the drawings, a represents one room or apartment, land a anotherroom. a2 represents a hollow wall or partition dividing them. a3represents the ceilings of the rooms, and a4 represents the floors ofthe rooms above.

In the space between the loor and ceiling is arranged the apparatusformingmy invention, and this comprises two boxesor casings b and c. Thecasing c is a water-compartment and is connected with the water-servicepipes c', so thattlie water is continuously under pressure in the casingc. The wall dividing the casings b and c is formed with an orifice dtherein, such orifice being commanded by a valve d. This valve has atubular stem d2, ttin g in a tubular guide cl3, fastened rigidly to thecasing c. A retractile spring d4 is located in the tubular stem d2 ofthe valve and con- Serial No. 49,420. (No model.)

nected with the valve at one end. The other end of the spring d4 is heldby an adjustable bolt or screw d5. l This spring d4 serves to give thevalve a normal tendency to open position, and the parts d2 and d3 serveto guide the valve properly in its movement to and from its seat. Whenthe valve d is closed, the water in the casing c is held from enteringthe casing b,vbut when the valve is open the water flows from the casingb to the casing c, Within the casing vb is Varranged al latch e,connected with the valve oland working with a stud e', rigid within thecasing b, so that when the parts e and e are engaged the valve d is kepton its seat notwithstanding the pressure of the spring d4. Connectedwith'thel valve d by a chain or other flexible connection fis a lever f,fulcrumed on the stud e and connected by a link f2 at its lower end witha hand-leverfs, which is fulcrumed in the bottom of the casing b andprojected downward through said Ycasing and through the ceiling a3 intoone ot' the rooms. When the latch c is raised, the spring d4 draws thevalve d to openl position, and thus throws `the leversfand f3, movingthe lever f3 from t-he position shown in Fig. l to its oppositeposition, in which the lower end of the lever f3 strikes the wall y ofVone of the` rooms and is stopped by this engagement. The lever f3 andthe adjacent wall of the room may be provided with electrical contactsf4, and these contacts form the terminals of an electric circuit,(indicated at fi) which circuit includes an alarm-bell orvother suitabledevice f6, wherebyto sound an alarm as the extinguisher acts. l-When thelever f3 moves from the position shown in Fig. l to its oppositeposition and the contacts f4 are brought together, the circuit fisclosed and the alarm f6 issounded.

g indicates the two sprinkling-pipes, which are perforated, as shown inFig. 2, and which `are led into the rooms a inany suitable man- It isimmaterial what position these' ner. sprinkling-pipes occupy in therooms as long as they are capable of leading to thek rooms the waterfrom the service-pipes o and sprinkling the -rooms in the manner desiredby the person feeding the apparatus. The sprinkling-pipes g are providedwith gooseneoks or other suitable connections g', which eX- tend upwardthrough the ceiling a3 and pass IOO loaded to raise upon explosion @thecovers or lids h. In connection with these cartridges v h2 are fuses h3,which are passed through the sprinkling-pipes g and led to various partsof the building. These fit'ruses lmay-be provided with branches h4, asindicated in Fig.

2, such branches passi-ng out of -the perforal tions in the pipeg.'Allhespeciga-lform of the fuses and their arrangement with Arespect tothe other parts are immaterial. *It is s'uicient that they lead tovarious nparts of the room, so that if a ire occurs :thefnses -Will beignited andwill lead the `fire to the cartridges h2, thus causingitheexlesion-of these elements and throwing-up `t eV lids h. As the lids h arethro-wn yupward the'extensions h thereof will throwup the .latch e,disengaging the same from -thestud c' and permitting the spring d* to.draw the -valve d to open position. The Water will `novv enter thechamber b from thewohamber aand-Will pass into the propersprinkling-pipe -to the seat of the fire, so as teextinguish the same.Connected with the :lids 'hare'toggles m, the links of which areconnected together by'a knuckle-joint, such Itoggles serving 'to holdthe lids raised, and when the dvalve d is -returned to its closedvpofrition Nthe-toggles are struck by a transverse pin apmgthelink f2,and thus the lids h are thro-wn back to'closed position.

In connection with this devioe'it 'should be borne in mind `thatvvateris not led to any part of the building-except where --the fire occurs.For example, shoulda-ille irre-occur in the vicinity of theright-hand-sprinkling-pipe (see Fig. 2) only theright-hendfcover-h'Wi-ll be raised. The other cover will Vbe kept closed, andthe -waterwill only low from the chamber b into ythe Iright-hmm `ine'losure b andpipe g. This avoids 'needlessly wetting the house. The apparatus 'willrapidly transmit the fire-ala-rmand will act 'almost instantly to openthe valve d. yIf desired, the alarm-bell may beindependent ofthe-extinguisher.

I-Iaving thus deserimad Lmy invention, I

claim as new anddesire toseeureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of'Walls `formi-ng a chamber, a sprinkling-pipe leading thereto, a

cover command-ing the pipe, means controlled by a fuse for opening thecover, avalve commandin g a Water-inlet to the chamber, a latchconnected with the valve to hold the same, the latch being released bythe cover, and a toggle for holding the cover raised.

2. The combination of a casing having communication with a source ofWater-supply, a

Valve commanding the same, a sprinkling,

kling-pipe and having connection with the latch, an explosive cartridgeserving to unseat the cover and release the latch, and a fuse inconnection with the cartridge, to lead the lire thereto.

4. A fire-extinguisher, having a sprinklingpipe, a valve commanding thepassage of water thereto, a latch holding the valve normally inposition, a spring tending to open the valve, a hinged cover engagedwith the latch to release the same, an explosive cartridge serving toactuate the cover, and a fuse connected with the cartridge.

5. In a fire-extinguisher, the combination of two casings havingcommunication with each other, a valve commanding said communications,means tending to open the valve, allatch serving to keep the valveclosed, a sprinkling-pipe leading from one of the casings, and a covercommanding the receiving end of the sprinkling-pipe and havingconnection with the latch, to release the same, the cover being adaptedto be raised by the explosive action of a cartridge.

6. A fire-extinguisher having a sprinklingpipe, a valve commanding thepassage of Water thereto, means tending to open the valve, a latchserving to hold the valve normally closed, and a hinged cover for thesprinklingpipe, said cover having connection with the latch to releasethe same and being adapted to be operated by the explosive action of acartridge.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE A. SVVENSON.

Witnesses:

ADoLF TrIoRsN, CHAs. BATTENBERG.

IOO

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